NORWAY — Norway Savings Bank announces its support of Avesta Housing with a $20,000 donation to renovate the former Mildred M. Fox School in downtown Paris. The former elementary school will be transformed into affordable senior housing featuring 12 studio and one-bedroom apartments.

Built in 1883 and expanded in 1940, the Fox School operated until 2008 as a public school and until 2015 as a private charter school. Avesta bought the building in 2017 and began construction earlier this year after securing a range of investments — including $20,000 from Norway Savings Bank.

Avesta plans to start taking applications for the apartments later this year with occupancy slated for early 2019.

The Portland City Council voted Monday night to approve tax breaks and consider funding awards for multiple senior and low-income housing projects, which could create more than 270 new apartments if all are built.

Those units would be a significant addition in the midst of a housing shortage in Maine’s largest city. Some would be market rate, but the majority would be rented to people with lower incomes, an area of particular need in Portland. Simon Thompson, a representative from the Portland Community Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the need for new residential development when he spoke in support of the proposals.

“The chamber believes housing is badly needed in the city of Portland across all income brackets,” he said.

PORTLAND — It took two meetings in one night to clear out City Council business Monday.

Part of the result was more municipal support for affordable housing. Councilors also set dates for hearings and votes on two potential changes to the City Charter.

In holding both July meetings on one night, councilors met for about three hours, focusing largely on details about land sales in Bayside made last fall.

In the first meeting, councilors approved a change in the purchase and sales agreement with Ross Furman for land at 178 Kennebec St. he bought from the city last fall to allow planned housing to be marketed to tenants ages 55 and older.

PORTLAND — More than 100 people celebrated the comforts of home June 27 at the grand opening of Avesta Housing’s new apartment building at 17 Carleton St.

But no one celebrated more than Alan Lewis.

“I love my apartment big-time,” Lewis said during the ceremony behind the 37-unit West End building.

Lewis was one of the first tenants to apply for an apartment. He moved in just before last Christmas, coming back to the city after living in Yarmouth and Bangor.

The 23 one-bedroom, 12 efficiency and two, two-bedroom apartments are marketed to tenants who earn between 40 percent and 60 percent below the area median income; a one-bedroom unit is around $650 per month.

PORTLAND (WGME) — Affordable housing is now available on Portland’s West End.Nonprofit Avesta Housing hosted a grand opening Wednesday of its newly developed affordable apartments on Carleton Street.

The development has 37 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments targeted at or below 40 to 60 percent of the area income.Avesta’s CEO says the new apartments “fit seamlessly into the historic West End while adding diversity to the neighborhood.”

WESTBROOK — A number of parks and recreational areas across the city have long been designated drug-free safe zones, but the City Council has added two more places to the list.

Acting on a recommendation from the Westbrook Police Department, councilors May 21 approved adding to the list the playgrounds at the end of the Clearwater Bend subdivision at 27 Reed St. and at former church property near 2 Walker St. In a letter to city councilors, Westbrook Police Capt. Steven Goldberg said those two locations are “heavily used for recreation and other community events.”

“By adding these two locations to the list of drug-free zones, it gives the police department another tool to use in combating drug trafficking and making the city safer. Anyone caught trafficking or furnishing drugs within 1,000 feet of these new drug free zones would face enhanced penalties for their offenses,” Goldberg said, adding “inclusion of these two new zones would enhance this and assist in any drug trafficking investigations in those respective neighborhoods.”

PORTLAND — With more than $1 million to disburse, city councilors and staff are evaluating affordable housing proposals to get federal funding and possible tax incentives.The City Council Housing Committee, led by Councilor Jill Duson, met May 23 to review four applications seeking at least a share of the $1.08 million in HOME Investment Partnerships Program allocated to the city this year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

On June 5, the Housing Committee and Economic Development Committee, led by Councilor Justin Costa, will hold a joint meeting to also discuss potential TIF financing for two projects. In that meeting, councilors expect to make recommendations for HOME and TIF funding to the full City Council, based on staff recommendations.